This Woman's Work
by Doctor Addison Montgomery
Summary: Sam/Max/Smithy. When Sam, Max and Smithy are forced to work a case together it pushes their relationships both professional and personal to the limit. NEWLY UPDATED! Please review! x
1. 1

**This Woman's Work**

**Summary: _Sam/Max/Smithy_. When Sam, Max and Smithy are forced to work a case together and it pushes their relationships both professional and personal to the limit.**

Dedication: For Beccy :) Who shares the SMax/Smixon love!

**1.**

Detective Inspector Samantha Nixon sat alone in her office, the blinds closed so that she couldn't look out and, more importantly, her team could not look in at her. She felt annexed from the people who had once been her co-workers. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for the promotion to DI and the perks it brought, she just felt so damn alone. Especially now that Phil Hunter was gone, catching bigger fish with the Special Ops team. She sighed, picking up her coffee cup and taking a sip. It was cold. Throwing the plastic container into the bin with a flash of anger, she pushed herself up from her desk and exited the office in search of hot coffee. As she approached the coffee machine in the main CID room she saw Jo sticking a notice with 'out of order' written on it to the machine. Sam scowled at the machine.

"Sorry, ma'am." Jo Masters said apologetically, as if the fact that the coffee machine was broken was somehow her fault. It was another thing Sam resented about her new position; she had lost a good friend and confidant in Jo.

Sam smiled at her, words failing her. Once upon a time, not so long ago, she and Jo would have stopped to have a friendly chat, may have socialised after work or gossiped about their colleagues, but now. In gaining a promotion she had lost so much.

She headed downstairs to the corridor that separated CID from the rest of the building. She made her way straight towards the coffee machine, her brain's need for caffeine leading her feet along the corridor.

"Christ! Sorry, ma'am." She heard a cockney accent apologise.

Sam looked up. "God Smithy, I'm the one who should be sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going!" She tried to laugh it off, but the fact that Smithy's hands were gripping each of her upper arms was making it difficult for her to concentrate. "Thanks." She said, when he finally released her. "I'm going for coffee, do you want one?" She asked.

"Actually guv, I need to talk you about something..." Smithy said, his green eyes refusing to meet her's. "In private."

"Okay," Sam was getting a little worried as she followed him into an empty interview room. "What's going on Smithy? And please, call me Sam." She sighed; the 'guvs' and the 'ma'ams' were wearing thin already.

Smithy closed the interview room door and leaned against it, still looking incredibly uncomfortable.

"What is it, Smithy? The suspense is killing me!" Sam said, half amused, half angry.

"Your daughter is in the waiting room. Jared's been abducted." He said, finally managing to look her in the eye.

"What?" Sam demanded. "Abducted?! Where from? I need to see her." She said, standing up and making for the door but Smithy stopped her.

"You need to calm down." He said gently.

"Calm down? My grandson has been kidnapped!" She blurted out.

"I know, and I understand your pain Sam, but Abi's in a state and she really needs you to keep a clear head, okay?"

Sam nodded, Smithy's words made sense and she took a few deep breaths. "Okay, explain everything you know so far to me, and then we'll go and see Abi."

* * *

When Sam entered the waiting room the blonde young woman who looked up at her couldn't have looked further from her daughter. Abigail Nixon had now lost of all of her baby weight and more besides, her long pale blonde hair hung loosely around her shoulders and her eyes were underlined with nearly black circles. Sam felt a rush of maternal instincts and quickly crossed the room to where her daughter was sitting and wrapped her in her arms. Smithy stood a few feet away looking, and feeling, slightly awkward. He had explained to Sam that Abi had decided to come to Sun Hill to visit her mother on the spur of the moment. They hadn't seen each other since the New Year and she was hoping for some parenting advice about Jared. Also, Abi had wanted some time away from her most recent boyfriend Mark whom she had just split up from, he was just having trouble accepting the relationship was over. Abi thought the best thing for her and for her son was to get away from Liverpool and come and stay with her mother until things blew over.

The train ride down from Liverpool had been fairly uneventful and Abi had spent the journey staring out of the window as Jared slept in her lap. Before going to the station to find her mother, Abi had stopped at the park to let Jared play and let off steam after the long train ride. She had turned her back for two minutes to help someone find directions and when she looked back, Jared was gone. She had looked everywhere she could think of but still she was unable to find her son. She had stumbled blindly towards Sun Hill Police Station and was lucky to see a familiar face on the reception desk and she had poured out her story to Smithy.

"Honey, we'll get him back." Sam assured her daughter, her eyes meeting Smithy's. They were both fully aware about how important time was when missing children were concerned. The more time that passed, the less likely it was that the child would make it back home alive.

Abi sobbed into her mother's arms, her pale face becoming blotchy from the effort of crying. The sight touched Smithy.

"Would you two like to go somewhere more private?" He asked. "My office is free."  
Sam looked up at him gratefully. "Thanks Smithy." She replied, helping her daughter to her feet and following the sergeant to his office.

* * *

While he left Sam and Abi in his office to talk, Smithy headed upstairs to the CID offices, hoping to run into Jo. He knew that Sam would need all the support she could get from her colleagues in tracking down Jared and a friendly face would help. Smithy pushed open the door to the CID office and looked around for DC Masters.

"Where's Jo?" He asked to no one in particular.

"The DCI just assigned her to an undercover sting operation, which will take at least the next week. Why?" DS Max Carter was the first to reply.

"Damn." Smithy cursed. Max was looking at him strangely and he knew he had to give him some excuse. "It's nothing." He told Max. "I just needed her to help Sam with something."

"Well, I can help." Max replied, he could sense that Smithy wasn't telling him everything and that made his suspicious, not to mention curious. "I'm only filling out some forms. What's she working on?"

Smithy guiltily shifted his weight from one foot to another. What was going with Sam and Abi was private and he already felt he had given away far too much to Max.

"Nothing important." He lied, and turned to leave. So much for his master plan involving Jo. He couldn't think of anyone else that Sam was close to who would help her, apart from him, of course. In the past he would have had no hesitation about going straight to Phil Hunter, but he was on the other side of London now and Smithy knew that, if Sam really wanted Phil, she would call him herself. Before he had a chance to escape, Max was up from behind his desk and was gripping Smithy by the arm. He kept his voice low to avoid attracting attention from the few detectives working in the office; his face was close to Smithy's to make his message clear.

"Whatever's going on Sergeant Smith, you have to tell me. You can't just come up here, acting all shifty, and then deny anything is going on. What is it? Is Sam in trouble?"

Smithy sighed. "Look, it's private, okay, that's why I didn't tell you." Max nodded and waited for Smithy to continue. He swallowed before he spoke again. "Sam's daughter Abigail has come to visit, but her young son went missing while Abi was waiting for her mum to finish her shift."

Max swore. "Are there any leads?" He asked. Both of them painfully aware of how important the first twenty-four hours were in a missing child investigation, especially considering how young Jared Nixon was.

"Not yet." Smithy said. "He went missing from Canley Park and hasn't been seen since. From what Abi told me she was helping someone with some directions and when she looked back, two minutes later, Jared was gone."

"Could be a snatch." Max observed. "Using the foil of asking for directions in order to abduct the kid. Are there any suspects in the frame?" He asked.

Smithy shrugged. "At the moment only Abi's ex boyfriend Mark who she left up in Liverpool."

"Could it be connected to one of the cases Sam is working on?"

Smithy shook his head firmly. "No, Abi's visit was a spur of the moment sort of thing. She wanted to spend some time with her mum after her recent break up with her boyfriend."

By now Max had released his grip on Smithy's arm and had increased the distance between them. He looked thoughtful, going over the possibilities in his head.

Finally he said. "I want in on this case, Smithy."

He stuttered. "I think that should be up to Sam, I've already told you far too much already Max."

"Let's go and ask her then." He said, pushing passed Smithy on his way to the door.

"Wait! Max!" Smithy called, but it was too late, the detective was already striding purposely towards the stairs.

**Please review! Xx**


	2. 2

**This Woman's Work**

**Thanks loads to everyone who reviewed! And to Beccy for beta-ing some of it! Xx**

**2.**

Once in the privacy of Sergeant Smith's office, Sam placed two chairs close together and helped her daughter into one of them. She took Abi's hand and in her's, squeezing it tightly and rubbing reassuring circles onto the palm of her daughter's hand with her thumb.

"Abi, you know I'm going to have to ask you a lot of questions..."

Abi nodded, wiping furiously at her tears as they continued to flow.

"Did a man or a woman ask you for directions?"

"A woman." Abi sniffed. "She was about thirty and a bit taller than I am."

"That's good, Abi." Sam tried to be reassuring but her heart was gripped with fear for her missing grandson. "Did she have any distinguishing features?"

Abi shook her head. "She was brunette, her hair was in a ponytail, she was wearing jeans and a green top. I think I saw a wedding ring on her finger when she showed me the map but I might have been looking at the wrong hand."

"Okay," Sam nodded, sensing that her daughter was close to another tide of emotions. "What about the map? Where did she want to go?"

"I don't know!" Abi exclaimed, pulling her hand roughly away from her mother's. "I've lost my son; _your_ grandson! For once can't you think like a human being and not a copper!" She almost screamed the last part, bolting up from the chair and heading for the door. Max and Smithy stared in bewilderment as Abi Nixon went running passed. Sam groaned, the last thing she needed was for them to witness her failings as a parent.

"What's he doing here?" She snarled, turning her anger at herself outward.

Max opened his mouth to speak but Smithy cut in first, knowing he owed Sam an explanation.

"I thought you might need some more help and a friendly face. Jo isn't available but Max offered to help."

Most of Sam's hostility receeded, still she could not look Max in the eye. "Thank you." She whispered. "I have to go and find Abi."

"Let me." Smithy said gently and Sam just nodded, far too weary to argue with him.

To her surprise, once Smithy had gone, Max leaned out and squeezed her shoulder. Despite her bitterness of a few moments before, Sam was grateful for his touch and the moment of solace. He silently led her back to the chairs in Smithy's office.

"Tell me all about Jared." He said softly, he only knew that Sam was a grandmother because of station gossip, he didnt actually know anything about Jared Nixon.

Sam let out a breath. "He's two years old, three in October. He can talk and he's got the hang on walking now. He likes Spiderman too." Max smiled at this. She felt herself relax as she talked about the little boy she loved so much, she felt another rush of gratitude towards the man sat next to her. "I'm sorry about just now, with Abi." She added. "We're so alike that things get a little heated between us."

Max almost smiled at the irony, and in any other situation he would have made a comment but for now he stayed silent.

"Don't worry about it. Things between my mum and me were never easy when I was growing up." He confessed and Sam looked at him, realising how little she actually knew about Max Carter. Maybe she had been so set against becoming attached to another detective after losing Phil that she had refused to get to know Max as a person. "And you don't need to worry about Jared either, Smithy and I will make sure you get him back safe." He told her with his usual confidence but with a conviction he did not truly feel.

* * *

Dale Smith headed slowly down the corridor making sure that he didn't miss Abi. He stopped outside the women's locker room and hovered nervously outside. He was thinking about knocking on the door when it opened and he came face to face with PC Noble.

"Something I can help you with, Serge?" Diane asked with a smirk, noticing Smithy's face flush to a deep pink.

Smithy cleared his throat. "Have you seen a girl in there, about twenty?..."

Diane looked puzzled. "Bit young for you, Smithy."

"I'm serious PC Noble, I'm looking for DI Nixon's daughter, Abigail." Smithy said, rapidly losing his patience.

"Is she blonde, been crying?" Diane asked and Smithy nodded. "She's went in one of the cubicles as I was coming out."

"Thanks Diane." Smithy said gratefully, moving out of her way.

"Is everything okay, Serge?" Diane asked.

"Uh, yeah." Smithy replied, Diane raised her eyebrows in response but said nothing more as she went to join PC Roberts who was waiting for her at the end of the corridor.

Looking around, Smithy quickly entered the locker rooms, feeling seriously out of place.

"Abi," He called out. "Abi, it's Smithy, your mum wanted me to come and make sure you were alright."

"She couldn't face me herself, could she?" He heard Abi's tearful reply from behind one of the cubicle doors.

"It's not like that Abi, she was going to come but I told I could handle it. She and Max are starting work on the investigation." Smithy explained gently. He had forgotten how difficult teenage girls could be. He finally heard the lock slide open and Abi stepped out of the cubicle, her eyes even more redrimmed and puffy than they had been earlier. She walked the short distance to one of the benches and Smithy took a seat beside her.

"Are you ever going to find Jared?" She asked, bunching some tissue up in her fist.

"We've got uniform teams out patrolling the area and the park. You'll be the first to know as soon as we get a lead." Smithy assured her. Appearances aside, Smithy could see that Abi Nixon took after her mother in other ways, they shared the same sense of strength of character for one thing.

Abi looked up at him, her eyes looking straight into his, demanding an honest response.

"Smithy, you didn't answer my question."

He sighed. "Jared hasn't been missing long which gives us time to be hopeful, but you have to know the importance of time in investigations like this. I can promise you this though, we will do everything we can to find Jared, and I mean everything."

"Thanks Smithy." Abi sighed, leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. She knew she had to be realistic but she wasn't ready to except losing her son, not until every avenue of possibility had been exhausted.

* * *

"What was all that about with Smithy?" Nate Roberts asked as he and Diane left the station.

"He was looking for DI Nixon's daughter." She explained.

"Oh," Nate said, the information sinking in and making sense now. "When I saw that we were looking for a little boy called Jared Nixon it didn't strike me that it'd be the DI's grandson." He paused. "DI Nixon; a grandmother. I never would've guessed it. She's far too fit to be a grandma."

"Nate!" PC Noble exclaimed, trying to hide her smirk.

"Sorry, Di." Nate blushed slightly and they carried on towards Canley Park in silence.

When they arrived at the park it was already a hive of activity, mothers with small children were being interviewed by members of CID and uniform were searching the bushes and grassland surrounding the park.

"This is hopeless." Diane muttered as they walked through the gate. She knew that if this was a child abduction the perpetrator would have covered their tracks. She shuddered, longing to see her own young son. Snapping on forensic gloves, she and Nate walked into the park and joined the rest of the officers.

* * *

"Do you want to go back up and see how your mum is getting on?" Smithy asked, Abi's sobbing had finally abated and she looked a little calmer now. She nodded and he helped her up and led her out of the locker room. Out in the corridor he came across Inspector Gold who raised her eyebrows but said nothing. Smithy took Abi upstairs to CID where they found Max at a computer terminal with Sam leaning over his shoulder. Smithy felt a twinge in his gut as he witnessed the proximity but forced it away, he had to put things into perspective, Sam's grandson was missing and Max was just doing his job, nothing more.

"What are you doing?" Abi asked, approaching her mum and DS Carter at the computer. Sam hadn't heard Abi and Smithy enter the room as she and Max were absorbed in what they were doing. She didn't have time to take the mouse from Max and minimise the screen before she reached them. "You think Mark is responsible?" She asked, losing all of the calm that Smithy had tried so hard to restore. "You are unbelievable Mum! You've always had it in for my boyfriends! And it's not like you're one to judge, your taste in men sucks!" She lashed out.

Max and Smithy exchanged a glance, if they felt this uncomfortable they couldn't imagine what Sam was feeling.

"Abigail," Sam said sharply. "You're upset, why don't you go and get a drink in the canteen."

Abi began to protest but Max stood up. "I'll take her." He offered. He wanted to help Sam and Abi but he also didn't want to party to Sam's fireworks which were bound to follow her daughter's outburst.

"Thank you, Max. We'll let you know when we find something." She assured them both.

* * *

When they were both gone Sam sank down into the chair Max had vacated with a sigh.

"Are you okay?" Smithy asked gently.

Sam looked up at him, green eyes fusing together. "No, not really, but thanks for everything you've done."

"You're welcome Sam, you've always been there for me." He replied with a warm smile. Sam reached over and took his hand.

"Thank you." She said again, her eyes filling with tears as she looked away.

Smithy pulled his hand away from her's and took her face in his hand instead. He tilted her chin so that she had no choice but to look directly into his eyes.

"We will find him, Sam." He said. They suddenly both became aware of what was happening and Smithy removed his hand before Sam quickly turned back to face the computer screen. She couldn't let the seriousness of this investigation make her lose her head.

**Please review! Xx**


	3. 3

**This Woman's Work**

**Thanks again for the reviews! Not quite sure how long this fic will be or who Sam will end up with but any suggestions are welcome! Here goes Chapter 3! Xx**

**3.**

Max bought Abi a cup of tea in the canteen and he ordered a coffee for himself. They sat opposite each other at a table away from everyone else for privacy. He watched over the rim of his coffee cup as Abi stirred two sugars and then a third into her tea.

"Want some tea with your sugar?" He asked, trying to distract Abi from her inner torment.

Abi looked up and rolled her eyes but said nothing.

They drank for a while in silence but it was Abi who spoke first. "Do you really think Mark could be involved?" She asked.

Bearing in mind her previous reaction when they had suggested her ex boyfriend was involved, Max tried to tread carefully.

"We have to investigate every possible angle. Most crimes are committed by someone we know so we have to consider Mark as a suspect just for now." He paused, praying that Abi wouldn't blow up again. Like mother, like daughter he thought ruefully. "But you're completely sure that there is no way Mark could be involved?" Max clarified.

Abi had been sure, completely convinced that Mark was innocent in this but after hearing Max out she was beginning to doubt her own trust in her ex boyfriend.

"I...I don't know..." She stuttured, dropping her cup on it's saucer with a crash. "He was always so great with Jared. Guys aren't usually interested when they find out you have a child, especially at my age but Mark didn't seem to mind at all."

Max nodded. "Did Jared and Mark spend a lot of time together?"

"Quite a bit. If we went out in the evening I got a babysitter or a friend to look after Jared but he used to come to the park with Jared and I a lot."

Thoughts began to race in Max's head when Abi mentioned the park. "What about just the two of them. Did you ever leave Jared alone with Mark?"

Abi looked thoughtful. "Not much." She finally replied. "Why? Do you think he could have done something to my son?" She asked, panic making his voice higher.

Max quickly shook his head. "Not at all, Abi." He lied. "I just want to establish how well Mark knew Jared."

"Oh, okay." Abi said, she was about to speak again when her phone rang. She dug through her handbag and pulled it out. "Oh my God, it's him." She said.

Max looked straight at her. "Who?"

"Mark." Abi replied.

"Okay, listen to me Abi, pretend like everything is normal and don't tell him about Jared yet."

Abi nodded, took a deep breath and answered the call.

* * *

Sam rested her forehead on her fist and let Smithy work the computer mouse. She cursed herself for letting her bad taste in men be passed down to her daughter. Despite Mark's rugged good looks and wavy dark brown hair, Sam could see that appearances could be very deceptive. She and Smithy had already found that he had been caught for driving over the limit, driving while under the influence of alcohol and for possession of a Class C drug.

"I hate to think of this guy around my daughter and grandson." Sam finally said.

Smithy looked across at her. "I know this is difficult for you both but this is a good solid lead." Sam nodded but was yet to feel reassured, Smithy's comforting presence was helping a little though.

She looked up as the CID doors open again and Max and her daughter headed towards them.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, standing up and looking from Max to Abi and back again.

"Mark just phoned Abi." Max said, speaking for Abi who was shaking. Sam crossed to her and wrapped her arm tight around her daughter's shoulders. "Surprisingly he's decided to leave Liverpool and come to Sun Hill to visit Abi."

"How did he know she was here, I thought this was a spur of the moment decision." Sam said, looking first at Max but concentrating the last words at Abi.

"I had to tell my flat mate where I was going because she'd worry, Amy must have told Max where I was." Abi said, close to tears again.

Max took over the conversation again. "Abi's arranged to meet him at the Canley Arms at 3 o'clock, we'll send some uniform officers down as well as Smithy and I of course."

"I'm coming too." Sam replied straightaway but Max and Smithy looked at each other, both shaking their heads.

"You can't Sam, this is our best chance of finding out what has happened to Jared." Smithy told her.

Sam sighed, she knew that they were both right but she desperately wanted to be involved with the investigation.

"Okay, fine. I'll get in contact with Abi's flatmate then." She turned to her daughter. "Can I have Amy's number please, honey?"

Abi handed her mum her mobile and Sam copied down the number onto a piece of paper. She looked at her watch, it was half past one already but she didn't feel hungry.

"Why don't you go and have some lunch." She suggested "And then we'll talk about how to best to proceed."

* * *

Max and Smithy managed to co-erce Sam and Abi into joining them for lunch in the canteen. While the two men tucked into hearty portions of shepherd's pie, Abi took small bites from her tuna sandwich and Sam pushed her chicken salad around the plate. Max and Smithy looked at each other but said nothing, they knew they would have very little appetite if their child or grandchild was missing. At half past two, Abi left for the pub with Nate and Diane in an unmarked car. Smithy and Max followed in another. Sam watched her daughter leave, her insides twisted in fear and anxiety. Once the five of them have left, Sam took a deep breath and headed up to her office, the piece of paper with Amy's number on it tucked inside her grip.

She closed her office door and rooted around in the bottom drawer or her desk. She pulled out a longnecked clear glass bottle and guilitily poured a measure into a small glass. She swallowed the liquid in one go, wincing as it burned her throat but it was worth it for the feeling of warmth spread through her. Getting rid of the evidence, Sam picked up her desk phone and dialled the number Abi had given her. The phone was answered after four rings.

"Hello?"

"Hi there, this is DI Samantha Nixon, I'm Abi's mum." She introduced.

"Oh, hi, this is Amy Spencer, Abi's not here, she came down to London to visit you." She sounded confused.

"I know," Sam took a breath. "Have you heard from her ex boyfriend Mark recently?" She asked.

"Actually yes, he rang last night, I thought it was weird because Abi told me they were over for good." Amy said.

"Thanks Amy, what did he say?"

"He wanted to see her. He said something about still having some of her things and he wanted to bring them over. I told him that she had gone to visit you in London and then he told me not to bother and he'd catch up with her when she got back."

"Okay, that's really helpful." Sam paused. "I'm sorry to put you in a difficult position Amy but what did you think of Mark?"

Amy paused, wondering how much to give away to her friend's mother. "To be honest I was pleased when they split up, Abi could do so much better."

Sam let this sink in. "What was he like?"

"Oh, very charming, good looking too but there was just something about him that I didn't like. I was pleased to see the back of him and Abi was too. Why are you asking me all these questions DI Nixon?" Amy said, suspicion clouding her voice.

"It's Sam." She corrected. "If Mark gets in touch with you again please don't tell him this."

"Okay," Amy sounded even more puzzled now.

"Before Abi came to meet me at the police station where I work, she took Jared to a park and while she was helping a woman to find directions, Jared went missing and we still haven't found him.

She heard Amy gasp. "Oh my God!" She paused. "Do you think Mark could be involved?"

"We don't know yet but it's something we have to look into. Do you think he'd be capable of something like this?" Sam asked, dreading and hoping for the answer at the same time.

"I'm not sure." Amy considered. "He was pretty upset when they split up, he kept calling and turning up saying he wanted to see Abi but that stopped suddenly and we assumed he'd moved on and met someone else."

"Okay thank you, you've been very helpful Amy." Sam said, bringing the call to an end. Her watch told her that it was just passed three o'clock and she desperately wanted to know what was happening at the pub.

"I really hope Jared is okay, and you find him soon." Amy said before she and Sam said goodbye and hung up.

* * *

Smithy and Max sat at one end of the bar, sipping beers. Smithy had changed out of his uniform into jeans and a grey zip up top. They casually watched Abi and a younger man at the other end of the bar. PCs Noble and Roberts, also in plain clothes, occupied another table nearby and pretended to be a couple.

"I really should go." They heard Abi say. "I promised my mum I'd meet her at half past three, I haven't seen her for ages so I don't want to be late." She said. Both Max and Smithy were surprised at how well she handled the situation. Once again they were struck by the similarities between mother and daughter.

"Okay," Mark replied. "But I'll be hanging around here for a while so if you want to get together we could, how about another drink back here at seven? You could bring Jared?" He suggested.

The last comment made Abi panic but she tried to keep her cool. She was under strict instructions not to mention Jared's abduction.

"Yeah, okay." Abi smiled, sliding off the stool and slinging her handbag over her shoulder. "See ya, Mark." She said, heading for the exit.

Max and Smithy waited a few moments and they too left the pub, followed a few minutes later by Diane and Nate.

"What did you make of that?" Max asked, to no one in particular.

"He's got Jared." Abi simply stated, her face pale in the afternoon sun. "I know it. He's got my son."

**Please review! Xx**


	4. 4

**This Woman's Work**

**4.**

The ride back to Sun Hill was silent. Smithy and Max rode back in one car with Abi in the backseat and Diane and Nate followed close behind. Neither Smithy nor Max thought now would be an appropriate time to discuss Abi's controlled outburst. They really needed to be back at the station for this conversation, preferably where Sam was on hand to give her daughter some motherly support. Abi was silent the whole journey back to Sun Hill, lost in thoughts about Jared and now Mark too. When they pulled up at a set of traffic lights, Max turned around in the driver's seat and looked at Abi.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Smithy shot a warning glance in Max's direction. Clearly the detective didn't know Samantha Nixon as well as he thought he did.

"Just great thanks." Abi replied sarcastically. "You try having your only child abducted by a man you thought you could trust."  
"Sorry Abi, I..." Max said whilst lifting off the handbrake as the lights began to change.

"Leave it out, mate." Smithy said, his tone was friendly but with the meaning was clear.

No one spoke again until they were parked up behind the station. All three of the occupants were eager to get out of the car, the silence had been unbearable. Max led the way back inside the station, Smithy followed his arm loosely but reassuring draped around Abi's shoulders. When Max saw the gesture he felt a stab of jealousy, first he had upset Sam's daughter and now Smithy was acting the hero, a role Max felt should be his. He sighed, how was he ever going to win Sam over when he couldn't even be supportive of her daughter?

* * *

Sam rushed out to greet the three of them as soon as the car pulled up outside the station. She felt a rush of gratitude towards Smithy as he guided her daughter towards the back entrance to the station. Sam ran towards her daughter, throwing her arms around Abi.

"How did it go? Did he show up? What did he have to say for himself?" Sam's questions flowed out in a torrent very unlike her usual measured and professional manner of speaking. Despite tightly embracing her daughter, Sam's questions were directed at Smithy and Max.

"Abi seems certain that Mark is responsible for Jared's abduction." Max stated.

Sam looked up at him before releasing her hold on her daughter a little so she could properly look at Abi. "Abi?" She questioned.

"I know it mum, he's got Jared or he knows something. He used to think he was smart, when we were together he was always playing mind games. My flatmate is studying psychology and she saw it before I did." The three officers nodded and Abi continued. "I think he might have taken Jared in an elaborate plot to win be back." She concluded. Max and Smithy shared an impressed glance, there was no doubting that this was Samantha Nixon's daughter, appearances aside. Now that she was back with her mum again Abi seemed stronger and much less fragile and vulnerable than before. "I have an idea about how we can get Jared back too..."

* * *

Sam led the way back inside the station and the four of them crowded into the DI's office. Sam and Abi occupied the two chairs whilst Smithy perched on the desk and Max leaned against the doorframe.

"What is your idea then Abi?" Sam asked, it seemed strange asking her twenty year old daughter this question when she was the Detective Inspector at this station. Still, her daughter had insight into Mark's personality that neither of the three experienced officers did.

"He said that he wanted to go out tonight and mentioned me bringing Jared. I was thinking that I showed up and was all upset because my son is missing he'd help me find Jared so he can play the hero and win me over." Abi said, aware of three pairs of eyes watching her closely.

"That's not a bad plan, Abi." Max said appreciatively, the first of the three to speak. Abi rewarded him with a smile.

Smithy looked at Sam, trying to gauge her reaction. He agreed with Max that Abi's idea was a good one in theory but he wasn't convinced that it was plausible. Sam's thoughts seemed to be going down a similar track. She believed that Abi's plan could work but at the same time she would be putting her daughter at risk as well as her grandson.

"I don't know, Abi..." She said, the doubt resonating in her tone.

Compared to her earlier mood, Abi seemed almost completely calm now. Despite still fearing for her son's safety, Abi was a little relieved to know that Jared was with Mark and hadn't been abducted by a paedophile.

"Mum," She began, making her tone as reasonable as possible. "I have to do this. You did everything you could to find me when Hugh abducted me and imagine what would have happened to me if you hadn't." She could feel her mother shudder and Abi squeezed her hand. "You've got to let me do the same for Jared." She finished, her resolve never slipping.

Max looked at the two of them in surprise. There was still so much he didn't know about Sam Nixon and the more that was revealed to him, the more he wanted to know. Sam now looked from Smithy to Max for their opinions, Smithy shrugged and let Max speak first.

"I think we should give it a shot, we've got nothing to lose in trying. We'll carry on looking for other leads between now and you meeting with Mark though." The last part was directed at Abi.

"Is everyone okay with all of that?" Smithy asked, making sure that all bases were covered.

Three nods confirmed this and Smithy took Abi off to a interview room to phone Mark where the call could be recorded and traced, leaving Sam and Max alone in her office.

* * *

"What a day, eh?" Max said once Abi and Smithy had left; he felt he had to do something to cheer Sam up.

Sam rolled her green eyes. "You could say that."

"Can I get you a coffee?" Max asked, looking at Sam with concern. Despite the fact that Jared could be returned to the Nixon women in a matter of hours, Sam now looked more worried than before and Max was curious as to why this was.

Sam smiled grimly. "I could do with something stronger." She admitted, watching as Max slid into the chair opposite her desk. He smiled sympathetically at her but she could tell that he was really lost for words. With a sudden pang of nostalgia, Sam realised how much she missed Phil Hunter. He had been there by her side the whole way through the ordeal of Abi's abduction; he had been her constant but now he was gone. He was only on the other side of London and she was pretty sure he would come running if he knew she needed him but she knew it wasn't fair to drag him back into the soap opera that was her life, especially after how she had treated him.

"I won't tell if you don't." Max smiled as Sam reached into the bottom drawer and pulled her secret supply again.

She poured them each a heavy measure and Max clinked his glass against her's.

"To team work." He smiled again.

"To team work." Sam echoed, hoping and praying that it would be enough.

**So sorry for the lack of updates on this one. Depending on what you want I'll either bring this to an end fairly soon or throw in another twist and a lot more tension between Sam, Max and Smithy. It's up to you! Please review! xx**


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